On June 19, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a bill requiring the posting of the Bible’s Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms in the state.
On Thursday, June 27, the Oklahoma Co-Education Superintendent announced that public schools are required to add the Bible to their students’ lesson plans.
This move has reignited the controversy over the principle of separation of church and state enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
Oklahoma requires Bible study
In the Oklahoma State Board of Education on Thursday, June 27, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters announced that public schools are incorporating the Bible into the curriculum for grades 5-12 beginning with the 2024-25 school year.
“Every classroom in Oklahoma must have a Bible placed in it, and every teacher must teach the Bible in the classroom to ensure that every student understands the Bible in accordance with the academic standards and state laws we have established,” Walters said.
Walters, a Republican, described the Bible as an “indispensable historical and cultural touchstone.” He believes the Bible played a crucial role in the creation of the Constitution and the founding of the nation.
“The Bible is an important historical document that helps our children learn about our nation’s history, gain a deeper understanding of Western civilization, and understand the foundations of our legal system,” Walters added.
Recently, religious activists in the United States have been actively promoting the introduction of Christian content into public education curricula.
On June 19, Louisiana set a precedent by passing a law requiring all public schools in the state to post the Bible’s Ten Commandments in classrooms, with an official effective date of January 1, 2025, in the state.
In response to the law, some parents have filed a lawsuit over it, claiming that it violates U.S. Supreme Court precedent and the First Amendment.
Oklahoma’s directive is likely to face legal challenges and could also spark a new round of controversy over the role of religion in public schools, with concerns about the separation of church and state.
Within some states in the United States, the Bible is taught as part of a specific curriculum, often viewed as a historical document or explored alongside other religious texts and literature. Few other states, however, have issued such comprehensive requirements.
In a memo to school district leaders, Mr. Walters did not immediately specify the specifics of Bible instruction. But he mentioned that the Bible and the Ten Commandments could serve as “suitable objects for the appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, etc.”
At the same time, he indicated that its significant impact on the nation’s founders and the basic principles of the Constitution could be studied. This initiative seems to imply a central tenet of conservative Christian political ideology, namely that the nation was founded with the purpose of being a Christian nation – a view, however, that has been challenged by many mainstream historians.
Teaching the Bible in public schools is controversial
Walters, 39, a conservative Christian and former history teacher, has risen to prominence in Oklahoma politics as an uncompromising “culture warrior” in education with his hard-line stance. He has stirred controversy over gender identity, racial education and other sensitive issues, and has often attacked school districts and individual teachers.
Walters also supports organizing student prayer in public schools and the creation of the nation’s first publicly funded “religious charter school” in Oklahoma. Earlier this week, however, the Oklahoma Supreme Court blocked the charter school’s creation, and the case may eventually be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice James R. Winchester said, “Under Oklahoma law, charter schools are public schools and therefore must remain non-sectarian. Public schools are sponsored by the state and cannot disseminate religious beliefs in their programs.”
The announcement sparked a backlash from some Democratic lawmakers and groups that support separation of church and state.
Several groups have protested the proposal, including the American Institute for Human Rights and Religious Liberty, which has also sued to stop religious charter schools in Oklahoma.
Rachel Laser, president of the American Association for Human Rights and Religious Liberty, said the organization is prepared to step in to protect all Oklahoma public school students and their families from constitutional infringements on their religious freedom.
“Public schools are not Sunday schools. Public schools can teach about religion, but they cannot preach any religion. Walters cannot even comprehend the difference between the two and is therefore unfit for public office. His most recent proposed plan – to mandate the use of Bibles in the Oklahoma public school curriculum – has been viewed as a transparent and unconstitutional effort to try to indoctrinate and pressure public school students into religion with this move, “I’m not sure what I’m talking about,” Reiser said.
“It amounts to an abuse of the power of public office to impose someone else’s religious beliefs on all children,” Leiser added.
In addition, the organization is also challenging a law enacted by the state of Louisiana that requires the Ten Commandments to be posted in every classroom in every public elementary school, middle school, high school and public university.
Stacey Woolley, president of the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Trustees, said she has not yet received specific instructions about the content of the curriculum. But she argued that teaching students only the Bible, without including other religious texts, is “inappropriate” for students from different faiths and backgrounds.
Andrew C. Spiropoulos, a professor of constitutional law at the Oklahoma City University College of Law, said that while it is unclear whether Walters has the authority under Oklahoma law to issue such a sweeping directive to all public schools, the request is an “attempt to push the boundaries of the law.”
He explained that generally courts have ruled that the Bible can be taught in public schools along with other religious texts or literature. However, if the Bible were to be presented as a stand-alone recommendation, it could be problematic from a legal standpoint and controversial in society.
The United States is divided about religious education in public schools, according to a survey last year by the Associated Press and NORC, an independent research organization at the University of Chicago. The survey showed that 37 percent of respondents believe that too little religious education is offered in public schools, 31 percent believe that the right amount is offered, and another 31 percent believe that too much religious education is offered.
